This Just In – DANIEL BOULUD BRASSERIE To Close

Eating Las Vegas has confirmed that the Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn will close when its five year operating agreement is up in April, 2010.

Its staff was notified in a memo on September 29th, and even though no public announcement has yet been made, Wynn is seeking another operator/chef to lend their name and talents to this site.

ELV thinks when an iconic, multi-starred, influential, titan of culinaria like Daniel Bouludpulls up stakes, it is not a good thing for our humble burg. The brain trust at Wynn/Encore (whose brains we haven’t trusted ever since Encore opened), will have to work overtime to find a replacement with anything (or anyone) close to DB’s star power.

Boulud is a passionate, charming guy, but for some time now, his Las Vegas outpost has possessed little of either.

We should’ve figured something was in the wind, after experiencing an overcooked, tired chicken breast during Restaurant Week — something that would be inexcusable in any closely-run Boulud operation.

But when the bosses cease to care, so do the employees.

If things hold true to form around Wynn/Encore, expect another steakhouse. Not a steakhouse per se, but a steakhouse disguised as some BOLD, NEW, EXCITING, CONCEPT! restaurant….serving a lot of beef.

Celebrity chefs and over-the-top restaurants have been one of Vegas’ major draws this decade. The recession/depression is taking its toll. I enjoyed Daniel Boulud Brasserie many times during its first year and thought it didn’t get the attention it deserved. I also miss Takashi Yagihashi who left Okada after only a year or so.
If the economy doesn’t improve soon, Vegas’ reputation as a restaurant city will crumble.

NO!!!! I’ve LOVED eating at Daniel Boulud, and I will truly miss it. I hope I’ll at least get to go there for my b-day in March. I also hope it won’t be replaced by another boring steakhouse. Encore really lucked out with Sinatra being so delicious, but it seems Switch and Botero are struggling a little. Maybe Steve Wynn can try keeping it French by bringing on another great French chef? Or if he REALLY wants to wow us, he can prove me and bwdining wrong by bringing a great Mexican chef like “Top Chef Masters” winner Rick Bayless to FINALLY bring some comida mexicana muy buena to The North Strip.

Having spent a week dining in various places for a week, DB was the best dining experience of them all. Food, service and price was hard to beat, even when dining at Bouchon, Latelier and other high end places I went to during the week. Sad to hear, but glad I was able to try before it went bye.

But yes, Boulud can be hit or miss. Ate at DBGB recently and was very disappointed.

franco, if you don’t know any Garth Brooks songs (I don’t either but google is my friend) let me help you out:

“Friends in Low Places Bar & Grill” -Works for the location
“Ain’t Goin’ Down (Till the Lease is up)” -An homage to DB
“Food of Some Kind, Hoping for a Full House”-All that the Wynn F&B Brass seem to be able to do anymore.

Or they could just have Chef Stratta do another restaurant. Maybe have him do Japanese this time. Call it Stratta-san.

WHOA!!!! OK, now I get it. Mr. Steve-o and Daniel Boulud must have had a falling out and he didn’t renew DB’s contract. And now DB is committing the act of “ultimate betrayal” by moving over to arch-rival Shelly Adelson’s place. I wonder what dirt he has on Mr. Big Wynn.

Btw, I’m reading John L. Smith’s “Running Scared” right now and it seems Mr. Wynn has a history of feuds like the one he seems to be entering into with Chef DB.

This is not entirely reported correctly. Daniel has been speaking for some time with another hotel. He will open something in the very near future. Daniel also has contractual agreements with all his outposts to spend time at them every month. All his chef de cuisine’s are first trained in NYC for several months before they go to any of the other restaurants outside of Manhattan. It is most certainly his food, his vision.